When hope fough back
by Mizu falls from Kumo
Summary: Juu, the one and only son of the Avatar is missing, Azula's loss, airbending could be lost forever. Now eight years later the Avatar's three daughters have a strange bodyguard. Kataang, Tokka, and Maiko, post-war


_I had this idea a while back however I could never get it to take off really, but now I did with this story. I hope you all like this story, and I should be having more chapters of this up soon. Any way this takes place like 36 after Aang defeated the Fire Lord, trust me you learn more later._

**I own nothing but the storyline and the OCs used in this story.**

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"Yugi, stay here." The eight year old boy said firmly in her face. His blue eyes sparkling, but his hair was matted on one side she was too tried to find out why. "Just stay!"_

"_Why? What's wrong?" She asked slightly walking up and the boy seemed to notice it._

"_Nothing's wrong, I just need you to stay here." He said softly sitting on the side of her bed. "Go back to bed, I'm sorry for waking you." He hopped off the bed and she watched him till he reached the door._

"_Are you running away?" She asked. "Don't run away, mom and dad need you!" She was becoming more and more frantic._

"_No, I'm not running away. Go back to bed, I'll be here in the morning." He said softly before running out the door. He was never there in the morning._

Yugi's gray eyes snapped open to a similar room like the one in her dreamed. It was dark, but there was no eight year old boy staring her firmly in the face telling her to stay. She had remember the horrible night better then anyone, but she never told anyone about it. She was the last on her brother talked to before he disappeared and before the whole world almost fell apart.

She rolled over to face her window, to find that the sun was far some time before rising. She groaned and flipped over in the bed, screaming into her pillow. If she didn't scream in the pillow her parents would have come running and there would be question she refused to answer. Her sisters would have wondered in and asked what was wrong, something they would never understand.

She untangled herself from the sheets and made her way out of the room. She ignored the nightshift guard as they asked if she was alright. She kindly said she was and hurried up, heading toward the kitchen or some other sanctuary she found. They were in the Fire Nation, and the palace had a lovely pond she found peaceful. However to her surprise there was someone else there, kinda just standing there.

Yugi knew he was a man, tall, lean, yet built too. She guessed his was late teens or early twenties, and least 4 years older then her, making him at least 18. He was wearing noble bodyguard clothing, and the one of a traveling nobleman, a headband on his forehead and fingerless gloves, with a tight black shirt clutching to his skin. He was chuckling to himself it seemed, or he was laughing cause she was falling at being sneaky. But when he turned to leave, he stopped dead, starring at her with wide blue eyes.

"Sorry if I bothered you." He said with a quick bow and disappeared into the depths of the palace.

Confusion hit Yugi like nothing else had before. Why in the world had he stopped dead, looked so surprised? Why did she find something familiar about those eyes of his? Why was he so eager to leave when he saw, not even exchanging a greeting? Yugi wanted to run after him and figure everyone out, but she feared it might make him and her father unhappy.

She was only out for an hour, when the sun started to raise, and she knew there was no going back to sleep now. No doubt her father would come out, twins trailing behind him. Waking up early had become her thing now; it had ever since her brother was claimed death by the world. Sure enough her father and his ducklings came strolling out, heading to breakfast, and noticed her half sulking under the tree.

"You're up early again." Her father pointed out with a slight chuckle. "Now if only we could get your mother up earlier."

"Yugi, come join us for breakfast." The twins, Kaze and Taki chanted, and Yugi caved.

"Alright, hold on." She said smiling while she got up, and walked over to them.

"Sleep good?" Her father asked, half noticing the bags under her eyes.

"No." It came flat and simple, no emotion in it at all. "I've been up for an hour."

"Did you dream any?" The youngest twin Taki asked, pulling at her sister's pant leg.

"No." This time her voice was thick with sad mixed with anger, but still remained flat.

"Well, that's good, I guess. Either way Zuko's probably waiting for us, he said something about a surprise for you all." Her father said happy and suspicious at the same time. "But knowing Zuko it's probably the best thing for us."

Yugi put on her face, the fake happiness, everyone seemed to love. However in her head she was hiding from the nightmares, looking for someone to open up to before she spilled over. The twins would only lead to her parents, and that meant filling in a huge gap they never knew. Zuko would lead her to her parents again; everyone would really, only Iroh would keep it a secret, hinting her parents to the fact in a way they would never get.

Yugi walked in a trance, laughing her fake laugh, and getting over the morning conversation. They reached the dinning room, to find a sleepy, Sozji and Lu-Lee dragging their way in. Greetings were exchanged, and everything was normal before the Fire Lord burst in with the boy from earlier trailing behind him. The boy seemed to get all awkward, uncomfortable was more like it maybe that was why he left so quickly.

"I solved you're problem Aang." The Fire Lord said to Yugi's father.

"I have a problem?" The Avatar asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well not you, the girls. See sense Azula is still loose and we can't find her, I figured, she would target you're kids again." The Fire Lord started. "So I found a reasonable bodyguard for them, though if I may say he is rather weird."

"How is he weird?" Yugi asked looking at him, and he looked away rather quickly. "He looks normal."

"Looks can be…deceiving." The boy said, looking her square in the eye now. "But he means my methods are slightly different."

"How?" Kaze asked swing her feet.

"I don't really know." He stated with a chuckle. "Just the way I was raised."

"Well who are you?" Aang asked, looking at the boy.

"Kuro of the Earth Kingdom." He said with a slight bow. "Or that's what they call me."

"Kuro, here, has no memory of the first real half of his life." Zuko informed. "Or very little, if you told me right."

"Yes, just blurry little chunks of nothing important." It came out straight, but Yugi caught traces of some type of thick lie. He knew more than what he was saying, way more.

"How did you loose it?" Taki asked.

Kuro just shrugged, and Yugi could tell he hated this questioning, or more like any questioning on his past. However the conversation seemed to turn away from him soon after. Breakfast was over by the time Katara had finished hers, and asked who in the world Kuro was. Kuro was soon the girls' shadow, following them anywhere except for places he couldn't go, but even then they felt watched.

The girls went out into the city, just for fun and Kuro was right behind them. They got lunch, but he didn't seem to want anything, and sat there. Yugi found he acted more as a protective brother than anything else. He was kind to the twins, in a father-brother sorta why, but with Yugi he was more like older brother than anything.

"So Kuro, what do you remember?" Kaze asked, making him snap back from whatever he was staring at.

"I told you very little." Kuro informed, Yugi found he was watching a group of some teens, at the corner of the shop. "Basic stuff is kinda fuzzy."

"Why are you starring at those people?" Yugi asked, and he jumped more.

"Precaution." He said flatly, Yugi found a huge lie in that too.

"Do you remember you're parents?" Taki asked, wanting the subject changed.

"Taki, that's not something you ask about. Kuro might not want to talk about it." Yugi snapped at Taki, before finding Kuro's eyes very distant.

"They're fuzzy, and my care-takers kinda landed me here." Kuro said. "It's a really long story. We should probably go back to the palace before it gets to late."

For some reason Yugi didn't argue, and shot the twins a look and they didn't either. At the palace Yugi felt safe, and it gave Kuro more time to himself, she figured he wanted to be alone. She didn't see him the rest of the night, she was worried and happy at the same time.

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"No news, I'm sorry." A shadowy figure said.

"Don't be Kuuki, where dealing with her." Another one added with a sour tone. "I should get back before it gets to late."

"Juu, wait!" The other said grabbing the second. "Are you ever going to patch things up with your family?"

"Yes, but now is too soon. Their not ready for something like this. I'll tell them when things get better." The second said looking down and breaking out of the first's hold. "Make sure everyone's safe, we've already lost too much."

"Of course."

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_I hope you all like it, now please review I like knowing what people think, however please no flaming, that would be mean and rude._

_Thanks  
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